Four dead on cruise ship heading to Fort Lauderdale

[babylonsister]

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/coronavirus/fl-ne-florida-coronavirus-deputies-infections-20200327-dhqwj7obzfbjldo7roewdd35h4-story.html


Florida coronavirus updates: Four dead on cruise ship heading to Fort Lauderdale
By Marc Freeman and Lisa J. Huriash
South Florida Sun Sentinel |
Mar 27, 2020 | 2:03 PM


Four passengers have died aboard a Holland America cruise ship that soon may make its way to Port Everglades, the liner announced Friday.

Holland America said “four older guests" died on the Zaandam, but didn’t say whether the new coronavirus was the cause.

The ship has nearly 140 people become sick, including some with respiratory symptoms. On Thursday, several were tested for the coronavirus and two people tested positive. The company didn’t say whether the two who tested positive were among the four passengers who died.

A Miramar couple aboard the ship adrift at sea said the captain also announced the four deaths.

The ship was prohibited from disembarking in Chile and is now seeking to make its way to Fort Lauderdale. That plan has drawn the wrath of Broward’s county commission, which is considering turning it away.

Cliff Kolber and his wife Doris, who left on their South America cruise in early March, said the captain on the Zaandam said at 11 a.m. that healthy people over age 70 will be evacuated to a second cruise line. Nobody is allowed to contact guest services to ask about themselves, the couple said.

[Jirel]

2. Amazed people still get on cruise ships.

Look, I know that not every cruise ship is going to become a plague ship. But between the 17 days of lingering virus found on a ship, and the unknowns on the ship with you, is there REALLY a good reason to play Russian Roulette? You're on the seas, there is no advanced medical support available, and chances are you'll be either turned away from ports or stuck at one for days or more while the authorities figure out what they want to do with the nasty epidemic on board. Taking a cruise right now is DUMB.

[ffr]

4. The lure keeps them coming back.

It is Russian Roulette though.

[Frustratedlady]

5. No. You couldn't give me a pass. They are incubators of so many things.

I'm surprised Ft. Lauderdale will allow them to disembark.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

17. They were bad even before this

With other nasty GI viruses ripping through them.

[still_one]

6. I can't believe it either

[tblue37]

11. In early March a lot of people still didn't know or didn't believe. nt

[Igel]

16. Current trip is from Buenos Aires to Ft. Lauderdale.

31 day cruise. They departed 3/7/20.

Likely mostly Americans, they would have left for Argentine on 3/5/20 or, if they wanted to see Argentina first, earlier.

Hard to think back to state of mind on COVID on 3/1. The present bleeds into the past. But most things were not shut.

One source reports 0 new cases on 3/1, and a relative handful before that. (Then again, with testing being what it was.)

First US deaths occurred 2/29/20 in Washington State. And how that made the news out of the country ... Dunno.

Question is how did it get onto the ship? Did it walk on with the passengers on day 1, as seems likely given incubation period and frequent time to death? From crew? At port of call? Currently their itinerary puts them off the coast of Peru.

Chile let Ft. Lauderdale off the hook a large extent, though.

[CanonRay]

24. The ship is anchored off Panama City

Offloading healthy passengers to a sister ship

[KayF]

25. on March 8, Fauci said "don't get on a cruise ship"

I remember being a little surprised how flatly he said it. So on March 7 or March 5, I don't think it's as crazy as it now sounds.

Just to give a little perspective on the timing...

[renate]

3. Shouldn't Ron DeSantis welcome them with open arms?

He seems to think that tourism dollars and keeping the state open for business are more important than slowing the pandemic.

[Igel]

15. He's the one who said that people from NYC should self-quarantine for a fortnight.

Consistency would say he wouldn't.

But humanitarian concerns would require that the county board welcome them with open arms, you'd think. All (D).

[uponit7771]

18. +1

[saidsimplesimon]

7. My eldest brother is MIA.

He is a Florida snowbird. Hopefully, he is on his way to Oklahoma to visit our youngest brother. It's too early to return to Michigan and maybe too late to stay in place.

I'm the only member of my immediate family who is a Democrat.

[greenjar_01]

8. I really don't understand how anybody gets on a cruise ship at all

The cruise industry can simply go away, as far as I'm concerned.

[jimfields33]

30. They actually are a great time

It’s also an affordable vacation for a family. Food, lodging, entertainment all at one price.

[TexasProgresive]

9. "That plan has drawn the wrath of Broward's county commission, which is considering turning it away.

Seems like history repeating itself in a horrible way.

As the M.S. St. Louis cruised off the coast of Miami in June 1939, its passengers could see the lights of the city glimmering. But the United States hadn’t been on the ship’s original itinerary, and its passengers didn’t have permission to disembark in Florida. As the more than 900 Jewish passengers looked longingly at the twinkling lights, they hoped against hope that they could land.

Those hopes would soon be dashed by immigration authorities, sending the ship back to Europe. And then, nearly a third of the passengers on the St. Louis were murdered.

Most of the ship’s 937 passengers were Jews trying to escape Nazi Germany. Though World War II had not yet begun, the groundwork for the Holocaust was already being laid in Germany, where Jewish people faced harassment, discrimination and political persecution. But though the danger faced by the passengers was clear, they were turned down by immigration authorities, first by Cuba, then the United States and Canada. For many on the St. Louis, that rejection was a death sentence.
https://www.history.com/news/wwii-jewish-refugee-ship-st-louis-1939

[Celerity]

12. +1

[SoCalNative]

13. They have been turned away by many ports

they need to land somewhere at this point, get people into quarantine or hospital, and get on with it.

[TexasProgresive]

23. The people on the MS St Louis were turned away from many ports

Many became victims of the NAZI killing machine. Leaving those people on this cruise ship is just as reprehensible. We never seem to evolve morally.

[Blue_true]

31. The should be allowed to disembark, and get immediately isolated for 60 days.

We should not leave them adrift, this from a Florida resident, that isn't who we are. But they shouldn't expect to be on their way in two weeks, either.

[crickets]

33. This. nt

[Freddie]

10. My parents (RIP) loved the Holland America cruises

They catered to an older clientele. The cruises were not cheap and they were a class act all the way.

[SoCalNative]

14. They're now owned by Carnival

unfortunately. They were once Dutch owned and operated.

[csziggy]

21. The port of registry for the Zaandam is still the Netherlands

Carnival Corporation was incorporated in Panama but is operated out of Doral, Florida - but there is an equal British branch, Carnival plc.

Over the years, Carnival has acquired a number of other cruise lines from various nations. I don't know if those subsidiaries retain their original ports of registry for their ships.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_Corporation_%26_plc

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Zaandam

[superpatriotman]

19. "...but didn't say whether the new coronavirus was the cause. "

Bull fucking shit.

[OnDoutside]

27. They don't have to, because they're not US registered.

[BComplex]

20. Tell them to go to Mississippi! The repubtilian in charge of that state think it's a hoax!

He hasn't issued any type of stay-at-home order, and schools are open there.

[malaise]

22. Unfuckingbelievable

but then it's DeSantis and his idiots.
I heard a Jamaican man on radio today - he's on one of the ships close to the Bahamas - a Carnival one - say the Jamaican staff members want to come home - they are begging for help. No country will let them dock.

[OnDoutside]

26. Go on to YouTube and search for the Hasan Minaj show on Cruise

Ships. It's cured my thought of going on one.

[OnDoutside]

29. Here is the link to the Cruise segment

[jimfields33]

34. That was funny

I watched the whole thing. I’ve been on 20 cruises. I think the pay is bad but the tips the workers get are pretty great. Each passenger is required to give tips on their on board account that is a daily rate. Other then that it was a factual documentary with humor.

[Chainfire]

28. What kind of heartless bastards

Would tell these people to go somewhere else. Perhaps along with the government we deserve, we are getting the aliment we deserve to go with it.

[TeamPooka]

32. Put that in your cruise commercials.

[Goodheart]

35. Even before -this virus I thought cruise ships sucked.

I feel for those people.

[mcar]

36. MSNBC reporter in Miami talked to a couple on board

Floridians. They left Mar 6 for the cruise because - wait for it - Gov. DeSantis and Pres. Trump both said everything was AOK.